About Our Community
Paris, Idaho is the county seat of Bear Lake.
Paris is a mixture of residential homes, businesses, government, church buildings, farms and ranches. The residents are a cross-section of age groups, families and singles. Many of the residents have been born and raised in Paris, but many have also moved to Paris making it their year round permanent home
The winters can be long and cold, the Spring time wet and muddy, the Summers short, hot and humid and the Fall is windy and cold. It’s a beautiful place to live filled with hardworking, great people.
Paris Museum
Learn more about Paris through the eyes of those who lived and worshipped here. Collection features original photos, documents, books, possessions and much more!
Address
34 S Main St
Paris, ID 83261
Phone Number
(208) 945 – 9606
Open from Memorial Day to Labor Day
History of Paris
The first permanent settlement in Bear Lake Valley was made at Paris, Idaho, September 26, 1863 by a group of pioneers under the leadership of Charles C. Rich. These early pioneers were faced with the necessity of erecting homes for the winter. Trees were plentiful and thirty-four log huts with dirt floors and roofs were completed by spring to house the people who came that year.
Charles C. Rich stayed until December before returning to Salt Lake and before he left, he put Robert K. Williams and Alanzo Bingham in charge of the settlement. He instructed the people to build a meeting house and this was done in 1864. This building which was built of logs, was used not only for church purposes, but for school, dances and other recreation.
The settlement was surveyed by a man by the name of Fred Perris and the town was named after this man, but it was written “Paris”.
The first blacksmith shop was operated in the fall of 1863 by Evan Williams.
In the early part of April, 1864, the first plowing was done in Paris. Four yoke of oxen pulled the plow. The grain froze the first year before it was mature. There was no flour mill at this time and the people had to grind the frozen wheat in coffee mills to make flour. This flour did not make very good bread and some flour was brought in from Cache Valley for their use.
A flour mill was built in the spring of 1865 by Francis M. Pomeroy and George W. Sirrine. They used burrs made from native stone. In 1866, a better flour mill was built in Paris Canyon with French burrs.
They made good flour and served the people until 1886 when a new up-to-date mill was built in its place. These mills were all operated by water power. This three story building was operated until it was closed in 1950, about eighty-five years after the first mill was built.
A circular saw mill was built by George W. Sirrine about 1866 to supply lumber for the building industry. In the spring of 1870, Robert Price, Charles C. Rich, David P. Kimball and Francis M. Pomeroy established a shingle mill at the mouth of Paris Canyon. This enterprise which produced all kinds of finished lumber, shingles and millwork, soon became one of the most important industries in the valley. It employed many men along with logging operations and made it possible for people to progress rapidly from the log cabin era to the age of beautiful frame homes.
The Deseret Telegraph line was constructed from Franklin to Paris in 1871
A group of men formed what was known as the Paris Cooperative Institute in 1874. It operated a general store, a dairy, a tannery, a shingle mill and finally , a boot, shoe and harness shop. After the railroad came into the valley in 1882, and brought things for sale, the cooperative institute began to decline and a few years later, the men went into business for themselves.
Bear Lake County was organized January 5, 1875 and Paris was chosen as the county seat. The county courthouse was built in 1885 on the Main Street.
A weekly newspaper was published at Paris in 1880 by Joseph C. Rich, James H. Hart and George Osmond and was named “Bear Lake Democrat”.
It had other names, but was named “The Paris Post” most of the time for the next eighty-nine years or until the end of July 1969, when it ceased publication.
The people of Bear Lake Stake started to construct a tabernacle on Main Street in Paris in 1884. The building was built of red sandstone and completed at a cost of fifty thousand dollars in 1888.
Paris was incorporated as a city in 1897 and John U. Stucki chosen as the first mayor.
The Bell Telephone was installed March 27, 1901.
The Bear Lake State Bank was organized and a bank building built in 1905.
The Bear Lake State Office Building was built in 1909.
In the year 1911, a branch railroad line was constructed from Montpelier to Paris by the Oregon Shoreline Railroad Company and the first train came to Paris that year. This branch line was discontinued around 1942.
A water works system was installed in 1912.
An electric power plant was installed about 1912 three miles up Paris Canyon and later an electric light and power line was constructed, connecting Paris with the plant. The plant was known as the “Bear Lake Power Company”, and it was later taken over by the Utah Power and Light Company, the company who operates it at this time.
The dance pavilion was built in 1913 and it was built with a spring floor. It was used for dancing and roller skating.
The Paris Hotel was built in 1918.
The Browning Building, the largest office building in the city was built in 1918. It is known today as the Hawkes Building.
The Emerson School building was built in 1917. This building replaced a three story school house that was situated east of this building and had been used for many years.
The Fielding Academy, a high school building, was built in the years 1896-1902 at a cost of sixty-five thousand dollars. Classes were held in other buildings until the building was completed. It was destroyed by fire in 1928. A new high school building was build to replace it.
A creamery was built in the south part of Paris in the early days. It was owned by the Mutual Creamery Company. John Jaussi started to work at this creamery in 1912 and he operated it for the next thirty-five years. Another creamery was built in the north part of Paris about 1936 by the dairy farmers. It was known as the “Bear Lake Valley Dairymen’s Cooperative Association, Inc.” This was a big business for Paris and the vicinity until 1965 when it was closed.
The people of Paris were in one L.D.S. Ward until 1877 when the ward was divided and a Second Ward (congregation) was organized. Before that time a church house had been built and this one was used by the Paris First Ward. Another church building was built in the north part of town for the Paris Second Ward. In 1948, a new chapel replaced the First Ward church house. Later, the two wards were combined and used the new chapel. This building was enlarged in 1976 and is a fine place in which to hold church services.
Through the years, many businesses have come and gone in Paris and today Paris is a thriving community
The Mayor and City Council
City Staff
Advertise or Contribute
This site takes a lot of time, effort and resources to create and fill with content. If you want to keep this going, please consider advertising or donating to the website to cover our costs.
